Democrat Senator Jon Tester (D-MT) has already faced criticism from tribal leaders for failing to provide federal law enforcement support on reservations in Montana. Now, Tester's campaign is being called out for failing to fund law enforcement by at least two Montana sheriffs.

Roosevelt County is in the heart of the Fort Peck Indian Reservation. The Roosevelt County Sheriff took to Facebook in a post that has already been shared over 100 times. He says he contacted Tester's campaign and asked them where this supposed funding for law enforcement is at. "Nobody knows anything about this 1.8 million. Our citizens In Roosevelt County are suffering in every way because of drugs," he wrote. (Full post is below)

A tribal leader from the Fort Peck Reservation testified earlier this year about how the Mexican drug cartels are targeting Native American communities with meth and fentanyl due to the wide open southern border. He also told the US House of Representatives how the cartels are deliberately targeting Native American women.

The Hill also reported back in August how a Fort Belknap tribal leader called out Tester over the lack of federal law enforcement on reservations in Montana. All Tester did, he said, was write a letter.

Jeff Stiffarm, president of the Assiniboine and Gros Ventre Nations of the Fort Belknap Indian Community, responded, “It’s an election year.” “He’s running for reelection; he needs votes. But it should have been done years ago,” said Stiffarm, who added he’s been working on this issue since he was elected president three years ago.

 

Park County Sheriff Brad Bichler also called out Tester for lying in his campaign ads. "In all of the years I have been Sheriff, Senator Tester has never reached out to me or my office to show support for us in anyway," he wrote. (Full post is below)

Here's what Roosevelt County Sheriff Jason Frederick shared via Facebook:

I am not supporting either candidate, but as your Sheriff I must inform you this recent campaign ad for Jon Tester is false and misleading. I have reached out to his office with no response. My question is where is this 1.8 million in funding for Roosevelt County law enforcement? I have reached out to the commissioners, WP Mayor, and Tribal Chief of police. Nobody knows anything about this 1.8 million. Our citizens In Roosevelt County are suffering in every way because of drugs. I know 1.8 milliom would sure help us with many issues here In Roosevelt County.

 

Park County Sheriff Brad Bichler expressed similar concerns:

We have all been bombared with political ads this election season and I usually try to ignore most of them. With that being said I can not let this one go. This ad put out by Senator Tester’s campaign is very misleading. In all of the years I have been Sheriff, Senator Tester has never reached out to me or my office to show support for us in anyway. Further more, any “funding” that has been procured for the Sheriff’s office has come from the hard work of our grant writer. Poaching a photo of one of the Sheriff’s Office vehicles and running a misleading ad is not something I can leave unaddressed. This is one reason that I and many other Law Enforcement professionals in Montana will be supporting Tim Sheehy this election cycle.

 

 

 

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